7 Jaylo men convicted of illegal detention

MANILA, Philippines — Seven operatives of the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (Pairtf) headed by the controversial former police officer Reynaldo Jaylo were sentenced Friday by a court to five counts of reclusion perpetua for serious illegal detention. Sentenced by the Manila Regional Trial Court’s Branch 28 were Ernesto V. Nicomedes, Antonio T. Aliermo Jr., Gerardo Sta. Maria Quisol, Rodante B. Cortez, Abelardo A. de Jesus, Elias H. Jaylo, and Fernando Jaylo Jardin Jr. Judge Nina G. Antonio Valenzuela acquitted one of the accused, Edgardo L. Ignacio. Jaylo, a former police officer of the Western Police District (WPD), was not included in the decision since he is still in hiding. Under court rules, he will still have to undergo court proceedings once he is arrested and submitted to the jurisdiction of the court. Jaylo and his men were the subject of complaints by Edemer Aurelio, Andres Bugarin, Rosario Raymundo, Lloyd Abella and Leonida Digman-Dungca and Sarah Gerolin, who were arrested by the Paitrf operatives for alleged illegal recruitment activities. Jaylo and his men were charged with illegally detaining the suspects between August until November 4, 2005. The seven were convicted in five separate criminal cases filed by Bugarin, Raymundo, Abella, Dungca and Gerolin. They were acquitted in the criminal case filed by Aurelio. Because of the illegal arrests, the Pairtf was abolished. In his ruling, Judge Valenzuela said there was nothing in the Pairtf’s mandate that authorized its operatives to arrest and detain suspects. - GMANews.TV